Esperanza
by Jaynie Grace
Summary: Eliza Herrold is rescued at sea by the Black Pearl and finds herself suddenly engulfed a world of swordfights, treachery, and swaggering pirate captains competing for her affection. COMPLETED, 1st ever fanfic, JackOC, Please R&R, thanx!
1. Awake and At Sea

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters who originally appear in the Disney motion picture, "Pirates of the Caribbean;" I do however own all the others. This story is a creative experiment conducted out of great affection for the characters, style and spirit of the film, and has been written for non-commercial, entertainment purposes only.**

ESPERANZA

Chapter 1: Awake and At Sea

The manner in which Eliza woke up was most unexpected. Having gone to bed a few hours earlier in an elegant ship's cabin, she was shocked to find herself soaking wet, still in her dressing gown and afloat in the middle of the chilling ocean aboard what probably used to be a door. Soon, the groggy memories returned. There had been an attack on the Esperanza, cannonballs exploding into the night and the yells of men as they fought the invaders boarding the ship. And now, this dark-haired young woman of nineteen was utterly alone, with nothing but wreckage and dead Englishmen floating in the water around her. She had no idea what had happened, but as she smelled the burnt air she guessed it was probably the work of pirates. She had sailed with her father often enough to understand the dangers faced by merchant vessels on the Spanish Main, and now, she realized as she began to cry softly, her father was likely dead, since captains are expected to go down with their ships.

Time passed slowly for Eliza, floating on the door. Someone would surely come looking for the Esperanza, she thought wistfully. The ship had been carrying precious stones from Africa, silk from China, and other luxury goods enjoyed and expected by the nobles in the British Caribbean settlements. Nobles, she thought. What does it really mean to be noble anyway? My father died protecting his ship, which to some is noble, but he did it for a bunch of puffed and powdered cretans living in seaside manses who would never understand or appreciate the sacrifice, but instead will probably wonder where the hell their silk undergarments are.

Eliza hung her head. There wasn't much to be done about her predicament at the moment. She was so tired, and shivering. She missed her father, and she was sad that she'd never see the Esperanza again. It had been such a beautiful ship, made by Spaniards, and bought by her father during one of those magic moments when your luck is up while the other guy's is down. Esperanza, her father had explained to 13-year-old Eliza, means hope. Most captains changed the names of their newly-acquired ships, for luck, or to underline the sense of fresh start; Captain Herrold had such affection for the name and such respect for the makers of this grand galleon, he kept the name. Eliza never questioned why her father hadn't re-named the ship after her mother; the pain was too new, and out on the ocean, he could forget about her drawn face, gasping for breath as she succumbed to tuberculosis. And while Eliza had certainly missed her mother, she had found life on the waves exciting and wonderful. There was certainly nothing wonderful about floating all alone in the ocean, she thought, as she curled up and tried to get more sleep.

As morning gave way to the afternoon, Eliza decided she didn't want to just lay there and die. If this was going to be her last day, she would go out fighting just like her father did. Using the information her father had taught her about the path of the sun and what that means to direction, Eliza decided to move south. This door would be too heavy for her to push against as she swam, though. Looking around her, she saw a plank floating not far away. She was scared, because once she let go of that door, there would be no turning back, and she might drown. But Eliza thought of her father, and cast off. Once she got to the plank, she held it out in front of her and kicked her legs toward the south, bobbing up and down in the massive green waves.

Eliza kicked for two hours, and then had to rest. The plank was hardly as large or as comfortable as the door had been, nor could it support her half as well. Still, she thought, she might be able to rest for a short while before renewing her fight against the waves. Her eyes were hurting and irritated from the seawater, but at least her movement had kept her from being too cold. At least she knew what direction she was going, she thought, and at least she still had a piece of the Esperanza.

* * *

Up on the poop deck of the Black Pearl, Annamaria thought she spotted something through the spyglass. "Mister Gibbs!" she yelled. "castaway, floating two hundred meters off starboard!" Gibbs, put down his flask, irritated to be disturbed. A damned castaway, right as the supplies were getting scarce. He raised his own spyglass toward the starboard bow, stroking his sideburns as he realized what he was seeing. A young girl, in her dressing gown, kicking her way toward the ship with nary but a plank for protection – Gibbs realized he'd better tell Captain Sparrow straightaway.

Sparrow, who wasn't expecting any excitement today, was asleep in his quarters from a rum-induced stupor, dreaming of the women in Tortuga. Gibbs opened the door to the captain's quarters and saw Jack Sparrow sprawled out on his mahogany bed, limbs hanging to the floor and his mouth wide open. He paused amused for a moment, listening to the garbled sleeptalking of the captain. "No, Marjorie, love…not that hard, darling…soften it up…tha's it…right the--"

"Jack!" cried Gibbs. Jack Sparrow sat up with a start, hitting his head on the ceiling of the bed as he did it. "Right," mumbled Jack as his hand flew to the bump on his head. He couldn't tell what was making his head pound just now, the bed or the rum. "And to what do I owe your fine howdy-do this morning?" he asked his first mate with much effort.

"It's afternoon," corrected Gibbs, then continued. "Jack, there be a girl, floatin' out on the water. Two hundred meters, starboard bow." This news got the captain's attention. He stood to his full height, brushing his hands on his dusty black trousers.

"Well," answered Captain Jack Sparrow, grinning wryly through gold teeth and with newfound swagger. "Then she mustn't see me like this, now, must she? At least not yet, mate. Got to get me a shirt. And my effects. You set about to get her safe on board, savvy?" Gibbs nodded, but grumbled as he went. A gruff old man of the sea, Gibbs was superstitious enough that even having Annamaria aboard was bad luck to him, and now he'd just been asked to bring a second woman on board, while in hostile waters, and with the supplies running low.

* * *

Eliza had never seen a ship with black sails before, but she was certainly glad she saw one now. A man had yelled out to her, and thrown her a barrel. Eliza, trembling from the cold, held onto the barrel for dear life as the man pulled it closer to the boat. Eliza was too happy to be rescued to even think about who or what might be waiting for her aboard this strange vessel. This sturdy older man with bushy sideburns, who everyone was calling Mr. Gibbs, immediately gave her a blanket and ordered someone named Mr. Cotton to bring her some hot soup.

"I….I….I…" stammered Eliza, with her teeth chattering from the cold.

"There'll be plenty of time for explanations," said Mr. Gibbs. "We need to warm you up."

A nearby door opened, and Eliza jumped at what she saw. A tanned figure about 5'10" staggered toward her, dressed in a ragged white shirt torn down the middle, dusty black trousers, and tattered black leather boots. His beard was braided, his hair matted with beads and feathers braided into it and topped with a red scarf and a tri-cornered leather hat; he had tattoos and earrings and smelled like rum. Noting that the girl was sizing him up, Captain Jack stood a bit taller, affecting his best sideways grin. He let her stare for a minute longer before dipping into a grandiose bow.

"Welcome to the Black Pearl, miss," he said. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." The Captain waited a moment for the inevitable dawn of recognition. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he repeated, bowing again but this time removing his hat to the lady. When no reaction registered from the shivering girl in the blanket, Jack rolled his eyes and stamped his foot indignantly. "Jack? Sparrow? Captain Jack Sparrow? Defeated Captain Barbossa and the Crew of the Cursed? Escaped hanging seventeen times? Branded, marooned, and still alive? Terror of the seven seas?" Jack paused again, wide-eyed and now forcing his grin. "Bloody hell," he exclaimed, exhaling and sitting down on a nearby barrel.

Gibbs took a quick swig from the flask around his neck and quickly stepped in. "Never ya mind, miss. You'll have plenty a' time to learn about where ya are. You need some rest, and I'll show ya to yer quarters. Annamaria! She'll be bunkin' in with you!" The brown woman still on the poop deck frowned as Gibbs shuttled the dripping young castaway out of sight.

Sparrow smiled broadly, stroking his beard. "Well thank goodness I have two ripe round oranges just aboard…keep me from getting' scurvy." Eliza wheeled around and glared at the captain, pulling her blanket up further around her, as Gibbs chuckled, turned her back around, and continued to march her toward her quarters.


	2. The Black Pearl

Chapter 2: The Black Pearl

Eliza sat on the musty cot, looking around the small, dark, wooden room with the one small window. From Captain Sparrow's introduction, it sounded to Eliza as though surely, she were aboard a pirate ship. But if that were true, these pirates weren't like any she'd ever heard of. That captain certainly liked his rum, and the cad was awfully full of himself…but there was nothing Eliza had experienced on the Black Pearl so far to suggest that these people were the murdering savages her father had always warned her about. They hadn't put her in a dungeon, but in a cabin with another woman. Wasn't it unusual to have a female crewmember on board a pirate ship?

Just as she thought this, the woman in question entered abruptly. "Here are some clothes," snapped the woman, tossing a small pile of garments onto the cot beside Eliza. "Men's clothes, you know…best we can do on ship."

"Thank---" began Eliza.

"See here," continued Annamaria. "You're sitting on MY bed. YOUR bed is that one. Over there." The feisty brown woman pointed to the opposite cot, the one not near the window. "Now listen here, miss. I can't be spending my time protectin' ya here. I have my duties aboard ship. You keep yer nose down and yer mouth shut, ya do what yer told, and watch out for Captain Jack."

"Is he dangerous?" asked Eliza.

Annamaria rolled her eyes. "Depends on yer definition o' dangerous, I'm guessin'. But he'll get ya drunk, steal yer heart, steal yer knickers, then steal yer boat and drag you all over the…"

"Oh," answered Eliza, blushing and not really wanting to hear the rest.

Annamaria continued, gesturing wildly. "Now. Yer on board the Black Pearl whether any of us like it or not, and you've gotta be earnin' yer keep here. Supplies are low, and we're sailing to San Miguel to get us some more."

"San Miguel?" asked Eliza, excitedly. She had been to this port with her father more than once, and enjoyed its colorful marketplaces with squawking parrots for sale, haggling merchants, clanking sliver pitchers hanging from windows, and ladies in their full skirts spinning around the square to the mariachi music. "I've been to San Miguel," she said. "With…my father." Eliza stopped, saddened, and looked at the ground.

"Well, looks like you'll be goin' there again. And seein' as yer takin' up my bunk too, there's probably somethin' I ought call you other than miss. I'm Annamaria."

"Eliza," said the wet girl, softly, not looking up from the floor.

"Well, Eliza," began Annamaria, putting haughty emphasis on her wet counterpart's name. "You'd better get yourself dressed and on deck. Best not to spend too much time around here undressed…savvy?" With that, Annamaria bounced out the door.

Eliza wasn't happy about having to wear men's clothes that smelled funny, but, it was certainly better than scampering about in her dressing gown, with that horny goat of a captain commenting on her "oranges." Scurvy, indeed, she thought indignantly as she put on a yellowed shirt and blue trousers, both which she had to roll up. The red sash she found, she ripped in half and tied one half around her waist to keep her pants up, and with the other half she tied back her raven-black hair. She realized, while taking a long breath and holding her head high, that she didn't even want to know whose clothes these were. She opened the door and made her way back on deck, into the sea air.

* * *

"Ah, you've returned, miss," said Gibbs with what surely was the only thing that could pass for a pleasant grin on his hardy face.

"Eliza's her name," yelled Annamaria, as she climbed back up to her post on the poop deck.

"Eliza Herrold," the girl corrected.

"Miss Herrold," said Gibbs, nodding politely. "So you mind tellin' us how it is ye come to be floating in the wide open sea?"

"I was aboard the Esperanza," she began slowly. "My father was Captain Benjamin Herrold, who bought the ship in Lisbon from a Spanish shipwright down on his luck. He was a British Navyman, finished his duties and came home to England only to have my mother up and die on him. I was thirteen. So he booked us passage to Lisbon where he was sure he could get a ship, and get a ship he did. We sailed the Esperanza making deliveries to the settlements, for profit. British crew, Spanish ship, nobody gave us much trouble. Until yesterday."

"Aye, miss," said Gibbs. "These be mighty rough waters for anyone who's not pirate themselves."

"And what kind of pirates might you lot be?" asked Eliza carefully.

"Pirates who wait for the opportune moment," called a voice from above, as Jack Sparrow came swooping down on deck by rope. Jack let go of the rope, hoping for a grand entrance, but lost his balance and fell into a stack of empty crates with a mighty crash. The assembled crew stifled their laughter, shook their heads, and waited for their captain to right himself.

"Now, Miss Eliza," he crooned, struggling to get his balance.

"That's Miss Herrold," said Eliza curtly.

"Ah yes. Miss Herrold then, is it." Jack wheeled around clumsily and began to strut proudly across the deck and making hand gestures he hoped looked dignified. "We are pirates who make wise wagers, acquire and sell things, you know…drink and sail, that sort of thing. No point to be killin' anyone, we'd just get hanged that much faster. Too much blood is sickening, really…don't care for it misself…but sometimes necessary."

"And now I'm on your ship," said Eliza. "So that means you're going to…" She paused, hoping to hear an answer about what her fate was to be.

"Raping and pillaging is for a man what can't woo a lady properly, love," answered Jack, twirling the ends of his mustache as a twinkle of mischief entered his eyes. "So you needn't be worrying about that neither. That's not to say I mightn't try…"

"You won't succeed," interrupted Eliza, as Gibbs chuckled again. A real pistol, he thought as he swabbed the deck nearby.

"Yes, well, there's plenty of time for that," said Jack, smiling drolly. "I'm more interested at the moment in finding out who sank your Daddy's boat, er…ship. Who sank your father's ship?"

"They had a lot of cannons and a lot of men, and must have known what we were carrying and where we were carrying it to," offered Eliza, scrunching up her nose at the thought of this braided, staggering rummy wooing her.

"I see," answered Captain Jack, looking at the sky thoughtfully. "And do you suppose, young miss, that you could provide said information? We can barely use it against you now."

"We were headed to St. John, carrying a shipment of silks from China, precious stones from Africa, and some clothes and furniture which we picked up in Portugal."

"Now Eliza," continued Jack.

"Miss Herrold!"

"So sorry…Miss Herrold…did you see what color coats your attackers wore? See any flags, hear anything yelled?"

"Hard to say," said Eliza. "There was so much going on…the cannons, rails splitting, fire, smoke, swords, guns, shouting…my father yelled at me to stay in my room, so I did. Hard to keep track of what color coats everyone was wearing," she added, in an acid tone.

"Hmm, yes…so…what's to be done with our young and lovely Miss Herrold, then?" asked the captain, eyes gleaming devilishly. "What indeed?" After eyeing Eliza thoughtfully, Jack asked, "You say you've sailed for some years…what skills have you of use to the seaworthy?"

"I can cook," Eliza answered nervously, watching the smiling captain circle her hungrily.

"Can you, now?" asked Jack with a knowing grin.

"Y-yes," she answered, feeling rather small.

"Well then, I'd get you to the scullery then…everyone earns their keep on the Black Pearl, miss! See what we've got, and make it last until San Miguel, savvy?"

Mr. Cotton escorted Eliza down into the area that was the ship's kitchen. Annamaria hadn't been kidding…supplies were indeed very low. Two large bags of hardtack, with weevils squirming among the pieces. Three barrels of oats. Somewhere near her, she heard a cow mooing and the clucking of chickens. Three crates of fruit, including coconuts, a few limes, and bananas that were going bad. Six large sacks of potatoes. Four large barrels of what could only be rum, and a moderately-sized block of salt. Eliza looked at the fireplace where hung the big iron cauldron, glancing at the blackened spoons and tools that hung from the mantel above. Against a small wooden table with knife marks in the grain, Eliza leaned and cried. Mr. Cotton, a grizzled old man who hadn't a tongue to console her even if he'd wanted to, cackled like a madman as he left Eliza in the kitchen.

* * *

The stew eaten later that night by the crew of the Black Pearl was a delicacy, they agreed. Eliza had merely used potatoes and eggs, and churned some of the cow's milk into butter to hold the oat-noodles together. Her teenage afternoons spent helping Old Nance in the belly of the Esperanza had served Eliza well. As she sipped the soup Old Nance had taught her to make, she hoped her friend and fellow shipwoman had died quickly and painlessly when the ship went down. Old Nance had been the one person who didn't mind the company, if Eliza was pestering the crew, and Eliza didn't mind helping the buxom, toothless woman who told her many stories of the sea and sang her sea shanties until Eliza laughed herself silly.

The moonlight lilted softly against the black silk of the sails, and a comfortable, salty breeze washed over everyone as they dined.

"By my calculations," began Captain Sparrow, "we're six days out of San Miguel." The crew yelled triumphantly and held up their mugs. "Those on watch, look sharp. Those not, get your sleep. And you…Cotton…the girl is cooking now, so you're looking after the animals."

"Awk," replied Cotton's parrot, perching on the man's shoulder. "Stench o'death, stench o'death." Cotton nodded, grabbed the mop leaning against a mast nearby, and trudged below.

The crew went about their business, securing the ship for the night, as a miniature bald man lifted himself onto the poop deck to conduct his turn on night watch. Jack Sparrow ambled over to the slender young girl drinking her soup, and struck a pose against the railing beside her.

"Delicious," he mused, smiling beckoningly.

"Excuse me?" spat Eliza.

"The stew," he continued, pressing his hands together as though in prayer, attempting to recover the moment. "The stew is delicious. But the oats…those oats are for the cow to eat, savvy? It was hard enough work getting a bloody cow on board the ship, let alone finding something to feed her with, and she's always bloody seasick..." Jack noticed the girl staring off into the sky, holding her empty bowl limply against her thighs.

He picked up a mug, nearby on a barrel. "Rum, love?" he asked tenderly.

"Look," answered Eliza hotly. "I appreciate that you and your pirate crew here have saved my life and placed me into indentured servitude for the next six days. It will keep my mind off losing my father, my friends, and everything I own in a day's space. But I'm going to tell you right now, Captain Sparrow…I'll have none of your rum, and none of your sweet talk. It's unbecoming, and inappropriate, and, and…I'll be leaving you in San Miguel."

"Your choice, love, certainly your choice," mused Jack. "And what will our Miss Herrold be doing, then, all by her onesie in San Miguel with no money and dressed in men's clothing, which, by the way, is property of the Black Pearl…are you quite sure you've thought this one through?"

"Well, I've thought THIS much through," hissed Eliza, grabbing the pirate captain's mug of rum and splashing its contents onto his face. Jack looked surprised for only a moment, then began to lick as much rum as possible from his beard and mustache. Eliza made a disgusted grunt and stomped off to her quarters, wondering how on earth she'd survive six more days in the hospitality of this arrogant drunkard.


	3. A Bargain in San Miguel

Chapter 3: A Bargain in San Miguel

"Land Ho!" shouted Annamaria. A cheer rose up from the crewmembers below.

"Ready her for the anchor!" yelled Gibbs. "We're goin' ashore, mates…San Miguel on the horizon! Stow the sails. Tie the cannons. Shore up the ship and we'll shore up, ourselves."

Soon, four full rowboats were heading from the Black Pearl to the shores of San Miguel. Jack Sparrow stood triumphantly at the helm of the first dinghy in the queue, loudly announcing that the Black Pearl would depart again at dawn on the fourth day. Eliza sat pensively between Gibbs and Cotton, who each wielded an oar. She would go to the mayor's office and throw herself at his mercy, hoping he could help her get passage to St. John. She had to explain to the governor in St. John about the attack, so nobody would think her father had made off with or sold the cargo to anyone else. If all she could do was keep her father's name in people's good esteem, she would do it, and perhaps her countrymen in St. John would take pity and help her start a new life. That was as good a plan as any, she decided. Fortunately, her father had taught her enough Spanish to get her around in a place like San Miguel, which was hardly dangerous but more a merchant port designed for people coming from and going to other places.

Once the boats reached the docks, Gibbs sought about signing them in with the harbormaster. The company from the Black Pearl had no quarrels with the Spanish at the moment, so there was no need to flout procedure; it was the English and the Dutch who required less obvious methods. Cotton helped Eliza step onto the dock. The young woman nodded in thanks, brushing a long strand of hair from her face that had fallen out of the ribbon at her neck. She looked around to see which of the buildings in front of her might be flying the Spanish flag, and prepared to set off, shirt and trousers notwithstanding, until Jack Sparrow abruptly cut her off. "Well, Miss Herrold," offered Jack, removing his hat, "I'm off to El Lagarto to negotiate with the pub's proprietor the purchase of some more fine rum for our continued adventures. You're of course welcome to join me for a drink."

"Thank you, no, Captain Sparrow," sighed Eliza. "I must to the mayor's office, straightaway. But…" She stiffened herself, making a good effort to be polite despite her revulsion toward the man standing before her, stinking of sweat, salt, and alcohol. "I thank you for your services and for your hospitality and wish you and your crew a very good journey." She squeamishly offered forward a hand, to shake hands with the pirate captain.

Jack took her hand in his, knelt with great ceremony and kissed it, then stood back up instantly and placed his hat firmly on his head. "Then my dear Miss Herrold, I bid you a fond farewell. A very fond farewell, for I don't expect to see you again, even though beautiful things would have most assuredly developed between us."

Eliza yanked her hand back in disgust, and stamped off in the direction of a palatial building which had to be the mayor's mansion.

* * *

Jack Sparrow was delighted to be visiting El Lagarto again. Diego, the barkeep, giggled knowingly as soon as his old friend staggered through the door. "Ah, Jack," cried the ruddy-faced man in a Spanish accent, tossing an old drunk off a barstool to the floor, to make room for the incoming captain. "I suppose it'll be a room upstairs, some fine company, and the usual arrangements with the rum and such."

"It will indeed, Diego, it will indeed," crowed Jack, as he waved grinningly to the squealing made-up ladies hanging from the upstairs banister.

"A mug for Jack Sparrow," ordered Diego, as a lanky young man stumbled forward with a frothing pint of ale.

Jack smiled at his friend, looked around the stucco walls to make sure nobody but the painted lizards there were listening and leaned forward, crouching. "Diego," he said, in a low voice so as not to be heard. "I'm also in the market for a bit of information, savvy?"

"Eh?" said Diego, always happy to earn more coin.

"I got two doubloons for anything you hear about a ship called the Esperanza, sacked six days north, headed for St. John."

"Someone beat you to it, eh Jack?" laughed Diego.

"Not at all, mate," continued Jack. "It's just that such knowledge might interest a certain young lady who herself is of interest to me."

"Ahhhh," replied Diego, knowingly. "A lady. Again, Jack. Always a lady. Even though I have plenty of 'em upstairs what are real happy to see the likes a you again!" Diego waved again to the ladies hanging from the bannisters.

"Well there is a lady, that's true. But whoever sacked that ship is now carrying gems from Africa, Chinese silks, and some other things that might sustain an old pirate for a spell, ay?"

"Gotcha, mate," winked Diego, glad his old friend wasn't making a fool of himself yet again for nothing but some pretty face…especially since that might mean lost profits from his ladies upstairs.

"One now, another when you've got some news," said Jack, sliding a shiny doubloon across the table, where Diego greedily snatched it up with a smile.

"Room number four, Jack. You know where it is. Just try not to rip up me sheets so badly this time."

"Three days, Diego," answered Jack, with a large smile, prancing up toward a beckoning painted redhead withimpressive cleavage.

* * *

Eliza had done her best to explain the predicament she was in to the manservant at the Spanish mayor's abode, but to no avail. The mayor was helping establish a nearby mission for the natives, three days' hike over land, and might not return for another fortnight. The weaselly fellow left in charge was indifferent to Eliza's situation and swore he could do nothing until his superior returned. Eliza dejectedly walked out of the manse and plopped herself on the marble steps, with her head in her hands.

After viewing a marvelously colorful sunset from her place on the stoop, Eliza resolved to take a walk through town, because she knew that even in an unlikely dangerous place, she should still set about finding a place to sleep that evening before the city's nighttime bawdiness took over. She strolled beneath the dim lamplights, hearing the talking and laughter around her, evaluating each group of people to find someone she might approach for assistance.

"Senorita…buy you this lovely dress!" A man was before her suddenly, holding up a dress of cream bodice and a full green skirt.

"No gracias, senor," sighed Eliza as she continued to move down the street. Her face registered shock when the dress was lowered and Jack Sparrow's face appeared, smiling hopefully at her.

"Ah, but what if I've already bought it for you?" asked Jack, holding out the dress for the surprised girl.

Eliza decided she could not appear frazzled, nor could she accept charity from a man who no doubt would want a kind of payment she was not about to remand. "Then you've got a nice present for your tavern girls, I suppose."

"Miss Herrold," said Jack gently. "Surely you don't expect to mill about dressed in stinky old pirate's clothes? Please. Please put it on."

"But I haven't any money to pay you back," said Eliza, and before Jack could answer again, continued. "And money, Captain Sparrow, is the only payment someone like me would offer to a filthy man as yourself, even though you are being somewhat charitable."

"Then," grinned the captain. "We'll call it a bargain. You'll borrow the dress until you've found your fortune and can pay me back. And if my friends come through with information about the Esperanza, then you keep the dress, but you sail again with me on the Black Pearl at dawn, Tuesday next. Are we agreed?"

Eliza felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. It hadn't even occurred to her to find out who attacked her father's ship; she was the only survivor she knew of in the ocean that night, and was more concerned with keeping her father's good name intact, and building a new life for herself. Eliza felt a pang of guilt for being so ready to accept her ordeal as over with. As for this pirate captain, Jack Sparrow, she didn't know what to think. Obviously, he was trying to help her in order to win her favor, a move she found transparent and untrustworthy. But…what if with his help, she could also maybe exact a bit of revenge on those who killed her father? She didn't have anything else to lose, and surely it wouldn't hurt to have word of her plight reach St. John before she herself did. She breathed in slowly and held a hand out to the swaying pirate. "Agreed," she said, taking the green and cream dress from him.

"Done," said Jack. "Now, for the matter of where you'll sleep tonight…"

"Captain Sparrow! Certainly you're not suggesting…"

"Relax, love. We're business partners, now, nothing more. Think of it as me protecting my investment. Up the road is a tavern called El Lagarto. Means the Leaky Lizard, you see…" Jack began to laugh, only to notice that Eliza was not amused. He deadpanned and cleared his throat. "Yes. El Lagarto, the tavern up the road. My room is number four, it's upstairs. Bolt the door behind you. If anyone gives you trouble, or you need anything at all, run downstairs to a loud man with a big red face, name of Diego, and explain that you're the girl from the Esperanza, and guest of Captain Jack."

"But you…" began Eliza, angrily.

"I have earned enough favor with certain ladies in San Miguel who will allow me lodging…so I won't trouble you at all. But I will say this much, darling…if we're to be business partners, I'd better at least be allowed to call you Eliza."

Eliza Herrold glanced Jack Sparrow up and down. While he still stunk like bilge and yesterday's toasts, and could certainly use taking down by a peg or two, clearly Jack couldn't be all bad, pirate or no. He was giving up his own room at the inn for her, even if it was to go carousing around with God knew who. She nodded slowly. "Goodnight, Captain."

"Jack," insisted the pirate.

"Jack," she answered. "Goodnight." She turned away from the swaggering captain, feeling hot and uneasy and quite sure he was watching her behind as she made her way away from him.

"Goodnight, Eliza," called Jack Sparrow after her. "Meet us at the docks, dawn Tuesday." He watched the girl hurry off down the dark cobbled street, hearing muted mariachi music wafting through a nearby wall. There was a bridge nearby, he remembered. Surely he could catch forty winks huddled up underneath, for nobody would think to look for a sleeping pirate captain there.


	4. Complications

Chapter 4: Complications

The sunrise reminded Eliza of eggs stirred slowly into a thick, rich batter. Through the tavern window, the yellow disappeared into the white sky as the minutes hastened on. She appraised herself in the mirror, grudgingly acknowledging that the dress selected for her by Captain Sparrow was indeed flattering to her slender young figure (even if it was cut a bit too low in front than anything she was used to wearing). She picked up her pirate clothes, which she had washed out by hand and hung over the end of the bed to dry, and rolled them into a tight ball she stuffed under her left arm, and set out for the San Miguel dock.

The crew of the Black Pearl was assembled near the far end, many of them moaning from the effects of the night before. Gibbs, who was a bit bleary-eyed himself, set about signing out the boats in the harbormaster's log and assigning crewmembers to each of the four vessels. Eliza was nervous, being eyed by the pirates, some of who smiled at her bawdily, others who whistled, and even a few who blushed and turned away. She turned toward the city once more so she wouldn't have to see the pirates ogling her in her new dress. From the bundle under her arm, she removed her hair ribbon and tied her hair back over her shoulders. When she looked back up, she saw Jack Sparrow ambling toward her.

"What say you, Captain?" asked Eliza. "How much do I owe you for the dress?"

"On the contrary, love," he offered with a lazy grin. "You and I, we're going sailing. You see, I know who sacked your father's ship. I know who they are, and I know where they're going, and we'll talk a bit more once you're back on board the Black Pearl."

Questions swirled in Eliza's mind, but she saved them all. She spent the brief ferry, again between Gibbs and Cotton, wondering what she could have possibly gotten herself into at this point. Surely, there was nothing for her back in San Miguel but a two-week wait for the mayor's return, and even then, she didn't want to think about what she might have to do to afford a continued stay at El Lagarto. Just the thought of Diego, asking her to put on makeup and hang from that dreadful banister, and pirates looking up her skirt…made Eliza shiver uncomfortably. This was another one of those moments, she thought, just like letting go of the door when she was floating in the sea. This could be the end, but could just as easily be the beginning.

Once safely on board the Black Pearl, Eliza helped a crewman named Bandy Jim untie the riggings to prepare the ship for departure. As she did so, a gust of wind came past and lifted her dress up over her head, exposing her knee-length, lacy knickers. She shrieked and dropped the riggings, pulling her dress back down and looking around to see whether anyone besides Bandy Jim had noticed. Jack Sparrow, of course, stood behind the ship's wheel, beaming down at her from the elevated platform, saying it all with a grin and a raising of his eyebrows. Eliza, infuriated, held her arms firmly at her sides and strode off to the room she was again sharing with Annamaria, to change back into her more practical pirate clothes.

"The Captain is requestin' ya, miss," said Gibbs, striding up behind Eliza, who was sitting on deck peeling a basket of potatoes.

Eliza thanked the old seaman, set down her basket of potatoes, and followed him up the stairs of the platform, past the ship's wheel, toward Jack Sparrow's ready room. When Gibbs swung the door open, it revealed the captain sitting low in an ornate, high-backed chair, legs balanced on the wall, his hat down over his eyebrows as he picked his teeth with the tip of a knife. Sparrow heard the door and quickly slid the knife up his sleeve, slid his hat back up, pulled his legs down and sat properly, pretending this was the sight his visitors had encountered instead.

"I've brought her, captain," said Gibbs, shaking his head with a smile.

"Leave us, Mister Gibbs. We'll talk later, mate." Eliza winced as she watched Sparrow wink at Gibbs as Gibbs exited, leaving her alone with the captain.

"Sit down, miss, we've matters to discuss," said Jack matter-of-factly.

Eliza found the chair closest to the door and sank down in it, trembling slightly. She looked across at Jack. "You said you knew who killed my father, and sank the Esperanza, and know where they're headed."

"It's true. Fortunately Mister Diego is awfully fond of doubloons, and for the right price will exercise his skill in the art of information trade. The Esperanza was headed north to St. John, correct?"

"That's right."

"Well…just Sunday, a merchant landed in San Miguel from a passenger ship originating in St. John. They said they saw a large ship pass by, toward the west, flying a black flag with a yellow cross."

"And that has what to do with the Esperanza?" asked Eliza impatiently, wishing she could finish being alone with Jack Sparrow.

"The answer is…" Jack exhaled and swallowed. "The answer is unfortunate. Unfortunate, love, because the flag in question is none other than the standard of El Cruce."

"El…what?" asked Eliza.

"El Cruce. Otherwise known as Hector Ruiz, former lieutenant who served under Cortez, murdered Aztecs by the thousand. Apparently, ole Hector was one cruel bastard, who preferred crucifixion when conducting executions, hence earning himself the name El Cruce, which means…"

"The Cross," said Eliza, along with Sparrow.

"Yes. So anyway. Cortez tells his man Ruiz to execute some natives to get them to comply, man gets a little too bloodthirsty, the Aztec chief curses Cortez with the whole cursed gold thing…long story, really, not very interesting…" Jack shrugged. "Then Tom's your uncle, Mary's your aunt…Cortez banishes El Cruce, who turns to piracy."

"But why would a Spanish lieutenant attack a Spanish ship?" exclaimed Eliza.

"Former Spanish military man, you see. He was banished from the Navy by Cortez, excommunicated by his church and branded an enemy to his queen. He is an outlaw to Spain. So while he attacks all the ships indiscriminately and sends others inland to sell the booty, he can't resist a Spanish ship. Those are the lucky ones, the ones he sinks. The others are found, gutted and floating about, crewmen nailed right to the masts so everyone knows who done it. Bloodiest calling card on the high seas, I'll wager."

Eliza felt hot tears begin rolling down her face. Nobody on the Esperanza had been Spanish, and maybe if her father had changed the ship's name, he and the whole crew would be alive now. It was all so pointless, she thought, as she wept silently. It didn't even matter to her anymore that she was crying in front of Jack Sparrow.

Jack sat quietly, feeling a well of sympathy for the girl but letting her cry. Christ, she was even beautiful when she cried, the poor young thing. This was not the time for him to make a move, he realized, though he had long since decided he would like to. Moments later, he stood up and walked slowly to the window, staring out toward the western side of the horizon. "We're heading west, Eliza. The Black Pearl is the fastest ship in the world, I promise you that. We're going to go get him."

Eliza wiped her eyes and looked up at the captain, whose profile looked almost handsome as he gazed. She could muster only one word. "Why?"

"He killed your father, sank your ship…" began Jack, incredulously.

"Surely you're not in this just to help an orphaned castaway," she said. "If you're doing this for me, it's folly. But a pirate like you, who…how did you say…makes wise wagers, acquires and sells things, drinks and sails. Surely there's some profit in this for you, or you wouldn't have bothered."

Sparrow turned to the girl and placed both hands over his heart as though mortally wounded. "Dear girl, you cut me to the quick. But…if we are being totally honest with each other, then yes, there is the relatively small matter of some stolen gems and Chinese silks to consider."

Eliza's eyes narrowed. At least he was telling her the truth, she thought angrily. "My father died delivering those goods, Captain Sparrow."

Jack looked crestfallen. Clearly, the girl did not understand. "Look…" he began pleadingly. "It's not like we'd be stealing it, because it's stolen already, you see? Your father did his duty as far as the gov'nor of St. John is concerned. Once the gov'nor understands the ship was attacked, all lost, well…hazard of the profession and nobody's the wiser, right? El Cruce takes the blame, whoever kills him is a hero to the British, it's assumed he spent the loot, and no more questions are asked. It's the perfect plan, love. Flawless."

Eliza stood up, face flushing. "Jack Sparrow, you're unbelievable."

"Oh, I'll cut you in, of course…but I need you because you're the only one can translate if we get in a bind…"

Eliza slapped the pirate across his face as hard as she could, left the room abruptly, and slammed the door behind her. Jack put a hand to his stinging cheek. "I may have deserved that one," he mused to himself.

* * *

Eliza stood alone in the breezy darkness, against the railing and looking down at the black waves passing beneath the Black Pearl. Tears streamed from her deep brown eyes. This new information had really messed her up.

Not just the idea of some barbaric pirate crucifying innocent sailors as he stole their loot, the same pirate who had killed her father made her simmer…but she was angry with herself. Of course Jack Sparrow would have profit as a motive. He was a pirate. His whole way was to scrape a living from opportunities such as this one, and there was nothing personal about it. He had found a way to profit without anyone getting hurt, and she had to admire his resourcefulness. He was doing what anyone would expect him to do.

What bothered Eliza the most, perhaps, was why she found herself so disappointed by Jack's truthfulness. She had seen evidence that he was not like other pirates. A scoundrel, for sure…but who would expect a pirate to do things like buy a new dress for a castaway, allow the castaway free roam of the ship and shelter in a cabin? She was confused now and didn't like it. On the one hand, he was bawdy, offensive, and a drunk. But she had seen a certain fire in him, and a certain tenderness. Despite her tears, she had to smile, picturing his grand gestures and extreme expressions. Jack certainly lingered on a person, she thought with a frown.

Eliza suddenly realized she was confused, utterly confused, and this confusion came as a most unwelcome surprise. Here was a man a good fifteen years or more her senior, a womanizer and a criminal toughened by a list of experiences she could only barely imagine…and she at a mere nineteen, familiar with life aboard a ship but utterly unfamiliar in the ways of men and mistresses. She was not about to let this dodgy pirate captain take advantage of her naivety, just so he could add her to his long list of conquests. His only loves were money, drink and the sea, and obviously he had women in every city from here to Tortuga. It would be highly impractical for him to change who he was, to settle down and be with one woman…Eliza quickly covered her eyes with her hands. What was she thinking? _I am not thinking about this_, she thought frantically. _I am not, I must not. I've been through a terrible ordeal. I'm wounded, I'm vulnerable. And this man will take full advantage if I'm not careful._

Eliza realized that letting Sparrow win her over would mean justifying his outlandish behavior and having to deal with that smug and knowing grin for heaven knew how long. Jack might enjoy her for a time, but in the end, she decided, she would end up losing to the lures of treasure and adventure. And at what cost to her, she asked herself. Too high a cost, and one her father certainly wouldn't have approved of. She sure missed Old Nance right now, and the ability to talk through the tough stuff with another woman more experienced than she.

She heard a seagull cry somewhere off in the distance, sighed, and plopped herself down on a barrel, lost in perplexing thoughts. She heard the clapping of boots against the ship's planks, and the jingle of metal, and closed her eyes tightly because Eliza knew she was facing both a person and a moment for which she was utterly unprepared.

"Eliza," began Jack softly.

"Just go away, Jack," she said, eyes still shut. How could she even look at him, now that she'd been thinking the thoughts she'd been thinking? "Please," she begged meekly. "I really need to be left alone right now. It's a lot to take."

"Your choice, love. Entirely your choice."

Her head felt heavy as iron as she turned it to Sparrow and forced herself to look at him. She felt as though she were seeing him, really seeing him, for the first time. His dark, kohl-lined eyes were deeper and kinder than she'd ever noticed before. His build was evident as the lightly-blowing wind stretched his clothes against him – he was both slender and muscular. His lips were full, his cheekbones high and deeply set, and under all the facial hair and the braids, he really was very handsome. This information seared into Eliza with a blaze of pain. She knew now that some dark and dangerous part of her was deeply, utterly attracted to this man even though her logical self knew it was impractical, unwise, and under extreme duress.

Jack, for his part, saw her lingering gaze and for once, put on no airs. It was useless. She sees right through me, he thought wistfully, and I've upset her. He realized with disappointment that he had to give up any notion he'd toyed with about becoming involved with Eliza, because this was one girl he cared about too much to hurt and in the end, he would hurt her. He knew it, because it was inevitable. Most of Jack's women understood him well enough to know what they could and couldn't expect from him, no promises made, free reign. He'd pop in for a visit, share some special time, and that was that until he returned sometimes months later. He did love each of them in his way, at different times and for different reasons. But Eliza was too young and had no idea how to protect her heart, and he could see that things with her would quickly become complicated. The infamous Jack Sparrow could not deny his feelings for this girl any more than he could deny his nature. And that was the regrettable paradox.

Eliza stood up, still with her eyes on his, and walked past him toward her quarters. As she passed by him, Jack put up his hand, as though to grab her and pull her to him, but he inhaled a measured breath with flared nostrils and curled his hand into a frustrated fist. Why did she have to smell so good, he wondered, shutting his eyes and letting her fragrance sweep over him like a wave.

* * *

Eliza's body felt heavy to her as she sat down on her cot across from the window, gazing at the moon. She couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing.

"It's the captain," said Annamaria, rolling over to face Eliza. "The captain's got his evil hooks in ya. Innit? Didn't I warn you? Didn't I tell you about him?" she asked scornfully.

"I…well…" answered Eliza, measuring her words. "Nothing has happened, Annamaria. Nothing. You needn't worry. I haven't invaded your territory."

"MY territory!" cried Annamaria, suddenly sitting up on the cot. "My territory? Listen here, miss. It's true the captain and I have had our dealings, but that was a long time ago and over with now. He's no more my territory than he is ANYbody's territory, and believe me, Jack Sparrow is nobody's territory, savvy?"

"That's just the trouble of it," sighed Eliza, thinking maybe Annamaria might just be the perfect person to talk this through with. "It would be a such a mistake. I mean…he's a mess!"

"Aye, but a handsome mess with eyes o' the devil himself. No woman on earth stands a chance, much as it pains me to admit." Annamaria paused. "But you've come to understand that, now…haven' ya?"

"I have." Eliza blushed deeply, lowering her eyes.

"So naturally, you have questions then?"

"Well…you see…that is," stammered Eliza. "I've no idea how to please a man."

Annamaria smiled. "Sure I can tell ya a few things about that, but make no mistake, Jack don't worry about you pleasin' him half as much as he makes sure it's him what pleases you. And please you, he will. That's what he's in it for, pleasin' a lady, it gives him a rush. Drives him, I'd say."

Eliza sighed and threw herself backward onto the cot. Annamaria's answers were only making things worse. "Annamaria…is he…." Eliza's voice lowered to a whisper. "Is he gentle or is he rough?"

"Well," began the long-haired Jamaican woman. "He's built awful nice, if ya know my meanin'…with me, there were moments of gentle, moments of rough. All depends where you're leading him that night."

"Is he always drunk? Does he always smell like that?"

"He is drunk sometimes, that's true. But give 'im a bath, miss, and he cleans up just fine. And Jack likes a bath. He'd be takin' one now if he has any inklin' of this conversation, believe me."

"Oh no…Annamaria, he doesn't know. He mustn't know. Please, you won't tell him, will you? That would be a disaster!" pleaded Eliza.

"Only a disaster for you, Eliza, I promise you that. Yer secret's safe in here."

Eliza waited a few moments before asking Annamaria one final question. "Annamaria, do you ever wish you and Jack were still—"

"Never," answered her bunkmate, lying back down on her bed. "I washed my hands of him a long time ago, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. He's a whole basket o' hurt, that one."

The two women laid in silence on their cots, both glad to have found friendship and both pondering the effects of Jack Sparrow in their own way until each drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.


	5. El Cruce

Chapter 5: El Cruce

The bell began to clang loudly, so Eliza dropped her stirring spoon, wiped her hands on her apron, and ran upstairs to the deck.

"Ship, dead ahead!" shouted Bandy Jim from the lookout.

Sparrow walked out from his ready-room and raised a glass to his eye. "El Cruce, it is."

Gibbs bounded up the stairs to meet his captain. "What's the plan, then, Jack?"

Jack frowned as he continued to look through his spyglass. "Fifteen or so cannons, about 50 crewmen. We're outgunned and outmanned." Jack collapsed the spyglass and put it into his right jacket pocket, and gave his pocket a pat. He wheeled around to Gibbs, stretching a hand out and rolling his eyes.

"Aye, Jack, it be dangerous business this time," warned Gibbs.

"But we've got the fastest ship in the world, and a bargaining chip. El Cruce doesn't know he left anyone alive from the Esperanza."

"Ahh," grinned Gibbs. "Give 'em the ole element o' surprise." He raised his eyebrows and took a long drink from the flask hanging around his neck as Jack called out to Eliza, who bounced up the stairs with her black hair flying around her in the wind.

"Captain." She acknowledged Jack, while still staring toward El Cruce's ship. Neither Jack nor Eliza had spoken any more of the other night, and had been careful to avoid each other for the past several days. This was easy to do on a big ship, where everyone had his duties to perform. They had scarce been out of each other's thoughts, though…Eliza not quite convincing herself that she should under no circumstances succumb to Jack Sparrow, and Jack not quite convincing himself that he should under no circumstances pursue Eliza Herrold. The complicated emotions on both sides now caused an embarrassed silence undetected by Gibbs, who was wiping the rum from his lips with his shirt sleeve.

"Eliza," began Jack. He tipped his hat and affected a pointed grin before continuing. "I need to ask you something, and please hear me out, love. We are in an interesting position. El Cruce doesn't realize there's anyone left alive from your ship, and it's something we can use, savvy?" Eliza squinted her eyes, not following what Jack was saying. "That is to say, you are an advantage for us, but using you as said advantage could be dangerous, and fact is darling, I've encountered great trouble before when using people as leverage without their permission."

Her eyes met his, full of fire, and Jack winced and braced himself to be slapped again. When the slap didn't come, he opened his eyes widely, and looked at Eliza again. The girl nodded at Jack, looked at the other pirate ship in the distance, then back at the captain.

"Yes Jack," she answered with spirit, slowly smiling at him. "But we wait for the opportune moment." Captain Jack Sparrow smiled so hard his face hurt.

In the belly of the El Puro, Hector Ruiz played cards with his crewmembers. The towering man was hunched over a bad hand, and was in a foul mood. He stroked a long black beard with his cardless hand, eyebrows narrowed, the left one brushing the top of his eye patch. A skinny, clean shaven man was on the floor nearby, dabbing his bleeding face with the cloth around his neck, after having been soundly punched for dealing his captain such a pitiful group of cards. Suddenly, a portly young man yelled in Spanish down into the hold. The captain sprang to his feet at once and ran up the stairs.

A ship with black sails had passed them, that much was certain, but now that ship appeared to be in trouble, as black smoke was rising from somewhere on the deck. Ruiz had heard of the Black Pearl, but never seen her. Captain Sparrow, wasn't it, he thought to himself. The large man chuckled. He had heard many a story about how well this resourceful Sparrow fellow got himself in and out of trouble. A right respectable pirate, if not rumored to be a bit touched in the head. Right now, though, Sparrow was in trouble. He was definitely in trouble. Why shouldn't El Cruce be the pirate with the black sails and the fastest ship, and a bigger cargo hold. They were both pirates, reasonable men who kept to the code for the most part…Ruiz would simply offer Sparrow a trade, which the other captain wouldn't likely refuse, being in distress. And, if Sparrow refused, thought Ruiz with an insidious grin, he and the rest of his miserable crew would be purified for their past sins.

Ruiz shouted instructions to the crew to assemble two boats and prepare to board the Black Pearl. While the Pearl was a larger vessel, it was obvious to Ruiz that it had fewer cannons and a smaller crew than the El Puro, and any captain worth his salt would surely recognize such and Sparrow would be aware as well. So, he reasoned, Jack Sparrow wouldn't dare make a move against him under threat of certain defeat, and it made sense to board with only half the crew.

* * *

"Tha's it," said Gibbs to the four crewmen. "Keep burnin' those there barrels. We need that smoke, ya see. They're sending out boats to investigate. When they get close enough and I gives the order, start makin' all manner of ruckass like the ship has caught fire and you can't put 'er out. We're sposed' ta be in trouble here."

"Come on, Hector," murmured Jack from the poop deck above as he watched the two boats get bigger as they inched toward the Black Pearl. "Come visit Uncle Jack."

Eliza had promised Jack she would hide below in the scullery until he signaled for her, so she crouched in a cabinet nearby. She knew it would nearly kill her to be hidden from the action as it unfolded. She knew Jack was taking a terrible chance, but she also knew the loot aboard the El Puro would sustain him and everyone on the Pearl for a very long time, maybe a couple of years, and Jack was first and foremost a man of fortune. She flashed back to the sinking of the Esperanza and remembered a similar feeling when she had hidden in her stateroom on her father's orders, unaware of what was going on until she woke up floating on a door in a salty smattering of broken wood and men. How many times had she wondered how things might have been different, had she left the stateroom? And would her hiding similarly this time cause the death of Jack Sparrow? She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the thought. She felt some loud thuds against the side of the ship. They were here. The pirates who killed her father were here.

"Captain Sparrow, I presume?" boomed a rich voice with a Spanish accent. "It appears you could use our assistance. May we come aboard?"

"Aye," yelled Jack, above the dramatic screaming of the crew, who were playing their part perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that one of the Black Pearl's sails had accidentally caught fire. Convincing at least, thought Jack, and turned to greet the visitors.

Jack adopted his best pose against the wheel, his eyes widening only slightly when he saw the magnificent size of the one-eyed and bushy captain climbing onto his deck. The two men nodded to each other with as much ceremony as could be expected during a fire on the deck. "Pleasantries later, I'm afraid, Captain…would you kindly help extinguish my ship."

Ruiz grinned broadly and yelled to his crewmembers, who began using buckets and any other tools they could find to get the fire under control. Beneath from her cabinet, Eliza chuckled in spite of herself at the notion that Jack was used to playing with fire, but this time it was a bit too literal. The burning sail had been hauled down and cast into the sea by the joint crew. The fire was out.

* * *

Cotton brought in the finest glasses for the captains to drink from, and left the bottle of rum between the men on his way out. Sparrow sat in his high-backed chair, in his ready-room across from the menacing Captain Ruiz, who was clearly half a foot taller. The two men spoke cordially as they sampled Jack's rum.

"I've a proposition for you, Captain Sparrow," began Ruiz, tracing the rim of his glass with a thick index finger.

"All ears, mate," answered Jack. He was curious to hear what type of bargain a barbarian might offer.

"We're both men of the code. Your ship…it is…burned. Damaged. You will need time to recover, and supplies."

Jack nodded. That much was true. The fire had gotten more out of control than it was supposed to, a slight miscalculation, but there was little to be done about it now and at least El Cruce was here on board, acting amicably as planned. Jack reminded himself that risking the things he cared for most had always yielded the best results in the end. And after all, it would take a lot more than a little fire to destroy his precious Black Pearl.

"I have in my cargo hold enough African gemstones to pay you fairly for this ship, four times over. I can replace the burnt sail with Chinese silk, which I also have aboard my ship. What I'm proposing is a trade, sir…I get a faster, larger ship, and you get the El Puro with everything in her hold."

Jack leaned forward, steadying himself. He had expected that Ruiz would want the Black Pearl. He had not expected that Ruiz would offer him a choice. In fact, Jack thought, this wasn't really a choice at all…things would get ugly very quickly unless he pretended to go along, at least until the opportune moment.

"My friend, you are in a fix. You are outgunned, outclassed, outmanned…and I think you understand the seriousness of this predicament, yes?" sniffed Ruiz. "I am offering a fellow pirate a measure of respect not reserved for others. Captain Sparrow, nobody will get hurt if you make this bargain peacefully, and I am guessing I don't have to tell you what happens to people who get on my bad side," he added, now holding up an onyx crucifix around his neck. "You have many sins to atone for, Sparrow, no?"

"As do we all, I imagine," smiled Sparrow thoughtfully, standing up with his glass and strolling over to the window. "A man with many adventures is bound to have many regrets." Jack set his glass down on the window sill, and stretched both arms over his head in a deep yawn. He looked frantically over his deck, and having received no confirmation that his crew caught his signal, stretched and yawned again. "I'm very tired, you know," Jack said sheepishly to Ruiz, who had a quizzical look on his face. Jack yawned once more, waving his arms about more desperately this time. "Exhausted, really," he said with a frantic chuckle to the giant man seated at the table.

From the corner of his eye, Jack saw the glint of Gibbs' flask in the moonlight and knew his signal had been seen. All Jack had to do now was keep Ruiz busy while Gibbs got Eliza in position, and assisted Cotton with the poisoning of El Cruce's crewmen. It wouldn't be long in coming or too difficult for Gibbs, Jack figured, as he could hear the whole lot of the joint crew drunk already, whooping and laughing, singing sea shanties and dancing at the far end of the deck.

When Jack wheeled back around, however, El Cruce had become upset. "You try my patience, Captain Sparrow," he began, starting to reach for his sword.

"Nonsense, mate," answered Jack. "I was waving off Mr. Cotton, so as he'd not disturb us. He was headed up here with a tray of crackers or some other rubbish. Can't have us getting crumbs in our beards, what, in the middle of such an important conversation, now, can we? That would be entirely uncivilized." Jack straightened his head, twisted the ends of his mustache and did a little bow forward.

Ruiz narrowed his eyes for a moment, then burst into a hearty gale of laughter. This Sparrow was as daft as everyone said; he had to believe that now. "Have a cigar, my friend." Ruiz reached into his breast pocket and took out two cigars. One, he tossed onto the table in front of Jack. The other, he drew across his upper lip as he drew in a deep breath. "Let us discuss the terms of your acceptance." Jack looked down at the cigar, carefully pondering his next move, for what seemed an eternity.


	6. Turnabout

Chapter 6: Turnabout

A loud knock on the ready-room door interrupted the two captains. Ruiz sprung to his feet as his chair toppled to the floor behind him. Before either man made a move, one of Ruiz' crewmen, a stodgy little man with sparse teeth, came through the door and said something urgent-sounding in Spanish.

"Excuse me, Captain Sparrow," said Ruiz. "Vasco here needs to have a quick word with his captain."

"By all means," replied Jack, with a swooping gesture toward the door.

El Cruce followed his colleague outside to the captain's deck, shutting the door behind them. Jack put his ear to the door but could not hear much. Anything he did hear was in Spanish, he realized, as he wrinkled up his face in disappointment.

Eliza, however, was in perfect position to hear everything the two men said, having snuck out of the scullery and scrunched down beside the captain's platform. This she had done on Gibbs' mark, and had recently finished administering poison to the glasses on Cotton's tray. She quickly realized that plans weren't unfolding as expected.

"Poisoned them, I think," said Vasco. "They were too drunk to suspect anything, the idiots. Free rum and they all turn into simpering dogs."

"So that was their plan," answered Ruiz, whispering angrily. "No matter. I will explain to Sparrow that a few of our men have taken ill, and that you need to sail back to the boat and fetch the ship's doctor. You take the boat back, keep just enough men there to fire the cannons with, and bring back everyone else. Then we take the Pearl, kill Sparrow and the crew. They will be purified for their deadly sins of untruthfulness and pride."

"Yes, captain."

"On my mark, Vasco. Thank you, my old friend."

Ruiz inhaled deeply, obviously needing to control his anger in order to trick Sparrow. Just as he opened the door, Jack jumped out of the way and struck a pose to make it look like he hadn't just been listening at the door. Ruiz took a powerful stance, with Vasco looking quite small in the tall captain's shadow.

"Captain Sparrow," began Ruiz. "Several of my men have taken ill. I need to send Vasco back to the El Puro to retrieve our ship's doctor…"

Before Jack Sparrow could answer, Eliza came bursting through the door. Jack's eyes widened in disbelief. What on earth was the girl doing? Eliza threw herself on her knees and sobbed into the bottom of Ruiz' jacket. She spoke in garbled Spanish all the while. Ruiz heard what Eliza was saying, and immediately flew into a rage. He picked up Jack Sparrow by the neck, in one hand, and threw him out the door, and down the steps of the deck. Jack hit his head on the ship's wheel and was immediately knocked unconscious.

"Vasco," ordered El Cruce, "take this woman and her maid with you to the El Puro. Sparrow captured them in San Miguel, and has been mistreating them both. They have asked me for sanctuary." Ruiz cupped Eliza's chin with a large, thick hand, drawing her to her feet. "And one so beautiful, she shall have her sanctuary, yes…she certainly will." Ruiz emitted a laugh so sinister that Eliza felt it in the pit of her stomach. What on earth was she doing?

"Oh, and Vasco…"

"Yes, captain?"

"Nobody touches the girl. She belongs to me now." Ruiz smiled an evil, crooked grin at Eliza as Vasco led her away, down the stairs past an unconscious Jack Sparrow.

* * *

Eliza and Annamaria sat huddled together in the dinghy that was now being paddled by Vasco, across to the El Puro.

"You told them I was your servant?" asked Annamaraia in a low, angry voice.

"I'm sorry, I needed your help and I couldn't think of any other way to make sure they'd bring you over with me!"

"Hopefully you haven't just gotten us both killed…"

"The way I see it, if we don't get out of this somehow, we could very well be dead anyway. And they were about to set an ambush…I heard them!" whispered Eliza.

When the smaller boat reached the El Puro, the remaining crewmembers helped Vasco tie in the boat, and get everyone on deck. The El Puro pirates grunted in delight to see two attractive women coming on board.

"These women are guests of El Cruce," announced Vasco. "Anyone who touches them will have to answer to him." A dull muttering erupted as Vasco turned to the two women. "Follow me. You will be staying in El Cruce's chambers under lock and key. Now, if you will excuse me, I must assemble and meet with the crew."

The women followed as closely as possible to avoid the catcalls and the wandering hands of the crewmen in their midst. When they had been locked in the captain's stateroom, Annamaria flung herself onto the bed.

"Get up! We have lots to do!" yelled Eliza.

"Yes, I imagine we do, miss, bein' all locked in here and such," snapped Annamaria.

"Annamaria," began Eliza. "I'm sorry you didn't like me telling them you are my maid. But now we're over here and we have to stop these pirates or they'll kill Jack and everyone on the Black Pearl. For once I refuse to be a good girl and stay hidden in my room!"

"So how dya 'spose we do that, then?"

"Well…do you remember how I told you the Esperanza was a Spanish galleon?"

"Yes," said Annamaria, unimpressed.

"This one is almost the same. In fact, I'd bet my boots it was the same shipwright who made both ships. I grew up on the Esperanza…I knew every nook and cranny on her, and knew how to get around undetected, to play jokes and spy and such."

Annamaria's eyes flashed. Eliza went over to the bed, told her friend to get up, and pulled off the sheets. She began ripping the sheets. "We're making a rope," she explained. The gun deck is right below us. If we can climb down there while Vasco is meeting with all the rest, we can somehow disable the guns."

The two women made a rope from the bedsheets, tied one end to the thickest part of an ornate bedpost, and flung their homemade rope out the window. Eliza looked down, verifying with a smile that one of the cannons was indeed poking out a window directly below her. She hoisted herself out the window, hanging onto the knotted sheets for dear life, and quietly climbed her way down. Annamaria looked after her out the window with fascination, for she had completely underestimated this castaway.

Eliza's feet touched the cannon, and she swung to touch the windowsill with one hand as she still held the rope with her other. Once she had braced herself safely, she let go the rope and pulled herself onto the gun deck. She looked around, saw that there were no pirates around, and motioned for Annamaria to follow her.

Once both women were safely in the gun room, they searched anxiously for a way to disable the guns. Seeing none, and realizing their time was finite, Eliza hoisted a cannonball up to the window and dropped it into the water below, where it landed with a muted plop.

Annamaria looked at Eliza as though the girl had lost her mind. "They can't shoot the Pearl if they have no cannonballs!" cried Eliza. The two women went from cannon to cannon, tossing the cannonballs into the sea. The muscles in Eliza's arms were hot with pain, but she wouldn't have stopped for the world because it meant life or death for Jack Sparrow.

The women heard activity aboard deck, but still had ten or so cannonballs to dispose of. "Eliza! They're coming back! We have to climb back up!" said Annamaria.

"But there are…some left…they can still shoot…" gasped Eliza as she heaved another cannonball out the window.

"We've got to go…now, or we'll be dead! Move it, miss!" Annamaria grabbed Eliza by the arm and dragged her back to the window where the rope was swaying just outside. Eliza heard the beginnings of footsteps on the stairs, and with one look back toward the lone stack of cannonballs still on the gun deck, grabbed her bedsheet rope and began her ascent.

The women had cleverly walked with their feet up the side of the ship while holding the rope, so were able to get back quickly into El Cruce's quarters and stow the rope just as the ten pirates on the gun deck below noticed an unexplainable lack of cannonballs. Eliza and Annamaria both sacked out on the large bed, grimy and sore and breathing very heavily.

"You know," said Annamaria, "this ship has only fifteen cannons, and ten cannonballs left. The chance that a few in ten cannonballs will hit the Pearl in the right spots…that's a big enough chance you've given our Jack. He knows a few tricks too, you know," she winked wearily.

"Oh, Annamaria…I hope so! If anything happens to him…"

"Relax," she said. "I'm sure Jack can take care of himself. He's certainly good at that."

* * *

El Cruce was admiring the craftsmanship of the Black Pearl. This was a sensational ship, and now it was going to be his. He smiled at the thought, moving his hands slowly across the captain's wheel, getting used to its feel. Things were going beautifully, he mused. He looked down at the unconscious Jack Sparrow, and kicked him in the gut just to hear the low moan that escaped. He could easily kill Sparrow right now, but decided it would be best to nail him to the mast of the El Puro before he sailed away with the Black Pearl. He had an image to maintain, after all, and abandoning a fellow pirate in this manner would certainly get people's attention.

Ruiz squinted toward the night horizon and saw the three boats on their way from his ship, carrying something much different than a ship's doctor. Taking over the Pearl would be very easy, he surmised. There were twenty hands on deck here, at most, and even if the poisoned crewmembers stopped getting sick and dying off, the reinforcements would be ready to fight. Once he secured the Pearl, he would bring her around aside the El Puro, transfer its loot to the Pearl, and then purify Sparrow on the empty ship.

Sparrow, he remembered…best the nincompoop not wake up during the fight. Ruiz definitely wanted to wait on the killing, but thought he'd make sure Sparrow was out of the way during the upcoming fight. He picked up Jack's limp body in his stumplike arms and carried him down to deck level. Cotton passed by, looking inquisitive. "Drunk," laughed Ruiz. When Cotton gave a knowing nod and walked back toward the far end of the deck, Ruiz turned and threw Jack down into the scullery, pulling the ladder up onto the deck in one strong heave and throwing it quickly overboard. "Adios," he said, tipping his hat tauntingly toward the unconscious pirate. There, thought Ruiz. That will fix the scoundrel while I finish taking over his ship.

As the three boats approached the Black Pearl, it quickly became evident to Gibbs that Ruiz had tricked Jack. Eighteen of the men from the El Puro were now sick or even dead from the poison, but instead of the ship's doctor, there were three boatloads of armed pirates, a little over twenty of them by the look of it. We're a little more evenly matched at least, thought Gibbs, unless those cannons start firing on us. He took one big swig from his flask and prepared himself for the inevitable. As Gibbs yelled to the crew of the Black Pearl to fight, Ruiz shouted commands to the arriving henchmen, and with swords drawn on both sides, the fight was on.

On the floor of the scullery, Jack's head spun and throbbed as he woke up. He didn't know quite how he'd gotten there, but he heard the unmistakable sounds of swordfighting on deck. Noticing that the ladder was nowhere in sight, he tried a few times to jump high enough to see what was going on, but to no avail. He had to get out there, to help his crew and to save the Black Pearl…but how? He looked around frantically. Suddenly, Sparrow got an idea. He went over to the long kitchen table, moved it over to the open doorway above him, and created an inclined plank by balancing the ends of the table against the rim of the door and the floor underneath. Then he ran to the fireplace, removed a poker from the fire, and ran toward the back room.

Jack didn't like to hurt the cow, but it was the only way to get her moving. Surely, having an angry cow running about the deck would create just enough confusion for Jack to regain his advantage. Jack decided to think of this as payback for all the times the cow had ever been seasick. "Move!" he yelled, as the poker sank into the cow's flesh with a sickening hiss. The cow shrieked in agony and began to chase Jack toward the front of the scullery, and continued straight up on deck.

The cow provided just enough of a distraction for several of the Black Pearl crewmembers to slay their opponents. Gibbs was bleeding from his left side and Bandy Jim had had a hand cut off. Two other crewmembers lay dead on different areas of the deck, which was smeared with blood. There were fights going on all around Jack Sparrow, and now there was a pissed-off cow running around on board, too. Jack looked about to find Ruiz, and spotted the man behind the ship's wheel, looking very pleased with himself. Jack drew his sword and marched up the stairs to El Cruce.

"Get your bloody hands off my wheel, Ruiz," he warned.

"It's my wheel now, Sparrow," sneered El Cruce. "You should have taken my generous offer when you had the chance!" Ruiz drew his own sword, and the two began to fight, hopping and dashing up, down, and around the captain's deck.

As the fight dragged on, dawn was approaching. Once the gunmen on the El Puro could see the Black Pearl in the early morning light, they realized the time was ripe to deploy what cannons they had. "Fire!" yelled the gun captain, as the pirates fired all ten remaining cannonballs toward the Black Pearl.

Eliza and Annamaria were jolted awake by the fire of the cannons. "No!" screamed Eliza. "NO!" The girl burst into tears and buried herself into Annamaria's chest. It hadn't worked. Eliza would never see Jack Sparrow again.


	7. Purification

Chapter 7: Purification

Gibbs heard the cannonballs zooming toward the Black Pearl and realized this would be his crew's last stand. This filled the old man with renewed vigor as he resolved to go down fighting, taking out as many Spaniards as he could on his way.

Two cannonballs each grazed the undersides of the bow and stern, largely missing their marks, as another sailed through the air right over the ship, missing it entirely. One cannonball passed through one of the main sails and fell in the water on the other side, as another exploded through the side wall of the scullery, and one more came through the window of Jack's ready-room, blowing the door off. The blast of flying wood and glass sent both Sparrow and Ruiz flying to the deck, with Ruiz falling over the railing and Sparrow tumbling down the stairs. They steadied themselves despite the confusion and lunged at each other again with swords drawn and a loud "Aaaaaaarghhh!" from Ruiz.

Bandy Jim was fighting two Spaniards with his one hand at the opposite end of the deck, and looked skyward just in time to see a cannonball hurtling toward him. The two pirates he was fighting, both with their backs to the incoming cannon fire, never knew what hit them as Bandy Jim threw himself sideways and the cannonball struck both men and sent them through the railing to Davy Jones' locker. Bandy Jim used this lucky break to bind the stump where his left hand used to be.

As the final cannonball from the El Puro came flying over the ship, Jack Sparrow and Hector Ruiz were fighting in the wrong place. However, the cow, of course, was still mooing loudly and thundering wildly around the deck. Jack saw the cow coming straight for him, dove and somersaulted out of the way as the cannonball struck the cow squarely on its side, and the cow shrieked its last and fell over with a nauseating thud. This sight was even too surreal for Jack Sparrow, whose mouth opened in shock as he sat cross-legged nearby on the deck. Before Sparrow could stand up, a blade was at his neck. He looked up at El Cruce, who was smiling savagely. "Whose wheel is it now, you indignant son of a sea squid?" he said. "It would be so satisfying to run you through, Sparrow," crooned Ruiz. "but…you must be purified for your sins. And the cross shall purify you and your crew."

* * *

In a short time, the Black Pearl was beside the El Puro, the ships tied together and anchored. About a dozen of the Spanish crewmen now eagerly worked to move the stash of bounty from the hold of the El Puro to that of the Black Pearl. Jack, Gibbs, Bandy Jim, Cotton, and the other few survivors from the Black Pearl's crew were seated and bound with ropes to barrels on the deck of the El Puro, as the other half dozen surviving crewmen from the Spanish ship worked to nail planks horizontally to the masts, about ten feet in the air.

"Well Jack," said Gibbs, looking glumly up at the crosses being erected for their execution, "We made a fine show of it, me boy. It's been a pleasure." A large gash over Gibbs' eye was matted with dark, dried blood.

Sparrow turned his head toward his old friend and merely grinned, wryly.

"You old dog," whispered Gibbs with an excited smile. "You HAVE got a plan!"

"Will you hush up already, mate?" asked Jack. "We don't want these carpenters to nail us, now do we. Our success depends on waiting…"

"Aye," answered Gibbs. "For the opportune moment!"

"Good thing I still pick my teeth," said Jack slyly, as he wriggled free his small dagger from up his shirt sleeve. He felt the blade slide into his hand, cutting him only a little as he began to slice his way through the heavy knots that bound him. No matter, he thought, as a little blood would make his hands more slippery and all the easier to escape. It stung like hell, though. Once his hands were free, Sparrow passed the dagger to Gibbs, making sure to act as though his hands were still bound to the barrel. Gibbs and the others took Jack's cue, and the escape was underway.

* * *

Eliza and Annamaria had been crouching on the far corner of El Puro's bed when he returned. While the women had no idea what had happened on the Black Pearl, they gathered it hadn't gone well when they saw three boats returning to the El Puro, and heard the shouted directions to the crew of victorious Spaniards.

It hardly mattered now what would happen to them, Eliza thought numbly. Jack was dead, and she and her friend were trapped in the stateroom of the most dangerous and savage pirate in the world. She didn't want to think about what might happen to her now; thoughts of the despicable giant forcing himself upon her were too terrible for words.

"Annamaria," she said softly.

"Aye, miss," said the pretty Jamaican, looking drowsily over.

"The sea was supposed to claim me that night on the Esperanza. I know that now. It was my destiny. I got more time than I was supposed to…I met you, I met Jack, it was the best adventure of them all, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Annamaria drew back in horror at Eliza's words. "What you be sayin'?" she asked nervously. "Surely you don't mean to…"

"I can't let Ruiz put one hand on me, Annamaria. I can't bear it. I'd sooner jump into the sea and let destiny take its true course. If he tries, I'll jump. I wanted you to know that. You've become a wonderful friend to me," Eliza said bravely, with resigned self-assurance. Annamaria's eyes glazed over with tears.

"And you to me, miss…you to me." The two women were holding hands as they heard a key in the door. El Cruce stomped into the room, stroking his beard and smiling. He gazed down upon the two shivering women. Annamaria looked back and forth, from Eliza, to Ruiz, and back again. Eliza's face was calm and sullen, but full of resolve. The hand behind El Cruce's back was brought forward to reveal Eliza's cream and green dress, the one Jack Sparrow had bought her in San Miguel what seemed like a century ago. He tossed the dress to Eliza.

"This will assist you in making yourself more presentable," he suggested with a grin. "When you have finished, my girl, please join me on deck. I've a present to give you."

"Present?" asked Eliza.

"Surely you don't expect me not to earn you, lass," said Ruiz. "Now…Vasco will bring in a pitcher and some cloths, and you may clean yourself up. And then, you will receive my gift to you. I think you will find it to your liking, my lady." With that, the giant captain affected a clumsy bow, turned on his heels, and left the room. Soon, as Ruiz had promised, Vasco entered with everything the women needed to tidy themselves up, including two steak dinners in covered dishes.

"Steaks for everyone today," said Vasco. "Captain's orders! Steaks all around!" The pudgy pirate giggled and crowed all the way out of the room, closing it behind him. Eliza, feeling sorry for what she knew could only be the cow from the Black Pearl, began to get dressed. The sensation of running her fingers over the green fabric gave her heartbreaking pause, as the image of Jack's face hopefully holding out the dress to her for the first time, that long ago night in San Miguel, entered her mind. Oh, Jack, she thought desperately. If only my efforts had saved you. Eliza knew it was only a matter of time until she would join him, in the great beyond. She began to wash herself, stinging tears falling into the bowl of water before her.

* * *

Eliza, freshly washed and looking worn but still very lovely in her cream and green dress, opened the door as El Cruce stepped aside with an outstretched hand to receive her.

"My dear," he began, turning toward Eliza. "I give you the gift of revenge. Revenge upon the one who took such unfair advantage of you and treated you so savagely. Have a look, my darling." Ruiz led Eliza down the stairs to the deck. Her eyes left Ruiz and blinked with disbelief as she saw Jack Sparrow and other of her crew tied to barrels, with large crosses now constructed on the masts behind them.

Jack was alive! Eliza couldn't breathe. She had never felt so happy before. Her mouth opened, face contorting with pain, joy, confusion all at once. Tears began to well in her eyes.

Jack looked up and saw his angel in the green dress floating down the stairs toward him and smiled radiantly. In all the fighting, he had utterly forgotten about Eliza and was overcome to see that she survived.

As Eliza's eyes met Jack's, a private and very emotional moment passed between them, as they were both glad beyond reason to see the other again, after both having believed the other dead. Eliza's tears freely flowed as she smiled at her pirate. Jack decided he had never seen a woman as lovely to him as she was at that moment and realized there was no betraying this on his countenance. For the first time, Jack Sparrow didn't care.

Ruiz, for his part, was still pontificating on about the terrible evils committed by Jack and his crew, as well as how and why they must now be crucified, and how this was to be his wedding present to Eliza. As the immense man removed his hat and looked down at the girl, preparing for a dramatic proposal, he noticed something. The evil man looked at Eliza, then at Jack Sparrow, then back at Eliza.

"Well, I'll be deviled," said El Cruce, quietly simmering with rage. "What a treacherous little lady have we?" He snarled and slapped Eliza roundly on the face with a mighty crack, which sent her to the floor.

"No!" yelled Jack, starting forward. "Leave the lady alone, Ruiz. This doesn't concern her."

"Oh yes it does, Jack," snapped Eliza, returning to her feet and wiping blood from the edge of her mouth. She wheeled on Ruiz. "He killed my father, sank the Esperanza, and left me for dead, and now he's got you. And I might not get revenge here today, captain, but I assure you I will jump into the sea before I ever let the likes of you lay one hand on me."

Ruiz' eyes widened as he suddenly got a maddened look about him. He began to laugh a laugh so sinister that even his own crew became frightened. "Well, Sparrow," announced Ruiz through gales of maniacal laughter. "it seems the best purification for you is to have to watch the lady of your heart sacrificed for your sins. There's nothing nobler, you know…" Ruiz laughed and laughed, waving his crew over to where Eliza stood.

Before she knew it, Eliza was being carried, kicking and screaming, over the heads of three pirates toward one of the makeshift crosses. She screamed with rage and twisted her body around as ropes bound her feet together and were tied around each of her wrists.

Gibbs looked incredulously over at Jack Sparrow. How far was he going to let this go before the crew of the Black Pearl intervened? They were all untied now. Jack set his jaw and looked at Gibbs sternly. Wait for the opportune moment, he thought with all his might. Fortunately, the others understood.

El Cruce brought over a ladder and roared orders to be brought a hammer and nails. He ascended up the ladder with his eyes firing with insanity. He began to hum a Gregorian chant to himself as he approached Eliza, whose hands were now tied to opposite ends of the mast-cross. Eliza began to brace herself. El Cruce chanted a prayer in Latin, as he lifted one nail to her right hand and the hammer in his other. With a fiendish gleam in his eye, Ruiz lifted the hand with the hammer high over his head in preparation to drive the nail through the girl's hand.

At that very moment, Jack Sparrow rose to his feet and flung his dagger, hard and true, into El Cruce's back. The humongous Spanish pirate fell from the ladder with a horrible crash and landed on his back, with the cracking of bones evident to all in hearing range. The rest of the Black Pearl's crewmembers sprang to the attack and proceeded to take out the half dozen Spaniards on deck with their bare hands and whatever else they could find. El Cruce made a deep and horrible noise, just as Jack Sparrow strode up to him.

"I told ya, mate…" he sang, swaying and gesturing. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. And nobody, right, NOBODY steals me ship, me cow, OR me girl. Savvy?" And with that final word, Jack assumed a brutal countenance and reared back on his left heel as he brought forward his right toe and gave Ruiz a mighty kick backward to the chin. Ruiz' head jerked back, and, as he fell to his deck unconscious, Jack Sparrow removed his hat, bowed to his foe, and said, simply but triumphantly, "Adios."

Sparrow glanced up the ladder at Eliza, hanging from the cross above, and still shaking breathlessly with panic. The victorious captain ascended the ladder, unfastened Eliza's hands, and carried her down the ladder to the deck as she stared into his face dreamily. Jack smiled lovingly at Eliza when he set her down. She bent forward to reward him with her kiss, intending to kiss him with all her might, but shrieked as he suddenly crumpled to the floor beside El Cruce.


	8. Let Go The Door

Chapter 8: Let Go The Door

The El Puro would be allowed to sail, minus the contents of its cargo hold, as the crew of the Black Pearl had no real quarrel with the remaining eleven men from the galleon. Thanks to Eliza and Annamaria, the guns had been effectively disabled, and with El Cruce captured and on the Black Pearl, the surviving crew had no reason for savagery. Gibbs was a right respectable man, showing them mercy, but the truth was, Gibbs had merely had his fill of torture and death for awhile and as long as they had the loot, Gibbs didn't really care what the men did next.

Gibbs looked the length of the deck on the Black Pearl and heaved a deep sigh, half of satisfaction, half of weariness. Cotton was swabbing the deck, washing away more blood with each stroke of his mop. A crewman walked past the main mast, where the barely-conscious Hector Ruiz was tied with rope from his ankles to his neck. The crewman swigged from his mug and spat it in Ruiz' face with a laugh, and kept going. Annamaria was standing unnaturally close to Bandy Jim against the railing, examining the bandage where his hand used to be and looking unusually concerned. Jim just stood and watched the girl with a dopey grin on his face. Gibbs chuckled. Strange secrets had been exposed during this latest ordeal.

The smell of fine food wafted from the scullery below, where other shipmates were repairing the hole in its wall. That Old Nance sure was one heck of a cook, thought Gibbs. Even with a superstition as strong as his about women on board the ship, Gibbs was secretly glad when a full search of the El Puro had turned up the woman hiding in the scullery, where she'd been forced by the Spaniards to slave for weeks. After all, Annamaria and Eliza were too young to be proper female companionship, but this fine old wench had a hearty laugh and was, like Gibbs, a well-seasoned veteran of the sea.

The funerals of their four fallen crewmates would take place once the captain was able, Gibbs thought. In truth, Gibbs recognized part of the reason for waiting was to make sure there would only be four funerals, rather than five. Unbeknownst to everyone at the time, Jack had suffered heavy injuries during his swordfight with El Cruce on the Black Pearl.

Eliza, again dressed in her pirate's clothes, had been sitting vigil beside Jack for days, tending to his wounds. Finally, the captain's fever had broken, though he was very weak from losing a fair amount of blood. He lapsed in and out of consciousness, mumbling unintelligibly or sometimes smiling at something in a distant dream. Eliza was so worried about Jack, it hadn't phased her that Jack was shirtless in bed with only his skivvies between them. She slowly dabbed the sweat from his forehead with a wet cloth, wiping the mottled strands of hair from his face. "Rest now, Jack," she whispered softly into his ear. "We'll wait for the opportune moment, love."

* * *

Things ran smoothly with Gibbs in charge, as he was a strong but benevolent taskmaster. But on the question of what was to be done with Hector Ruiz, Joshamee Gibbs wasn't sure. As Eliza joined him on deck behind the wheel, stretching out her arms with deep circles under her eyes, he cast her an admiring glance.

"Miss Eliza," began Gibbs. "We're all mighty 'preciatin' what yer doin' for Jack. But ya needn't run yerself down like this, lass."

"He saved my life for the second time, Mr. Gibbs. Surely I owe him this much," Eliza answered politely, though clearly exhausted. Gibbs smiled at the girl, who was staring lazily toward the horizon, lost in her own thoughts. It was clear to everyone now that Eliza was in love with Sparrow, but Gibbs would not be the one to meddle in it.

"I've one question upon which I need yer advice, though, miss."

Eliza turned to Gibbs quizzically.

"We all thought it should be you who decide what's to be done wid' Ruiz there," he nodded toward the tall, bound prisoner.

"I've wondered a lot about that, too," answered Eliza. "And this crew will not lower ourselves by executing him in the same manner as he would have us, nor in any manner at all."

"Are…are you sure, miss?" asked Gibbs, incredulously.

"I've thought it over and I think I know the perfect come-uppance for our friend El Cruce. For my father, for the Esperanza, for me and Jack. He'll be punished, but justly, and leaving him the only thing I had left, however small…hope."

* * *

Hector Ruiz could not help but laugh at the irony of his predicament, as he watched the Black Pearl getting smaller and smaller in the distance. His arms were tied tightly outright around the door that once graced the entrance to Jack Sparrow's ready-room. The door had blown off when the cannonball exploded into the room, and was being used now for other purposes. Jack's small dagger was clenched between El Cruce's teeth, and seawater entered his mouth now and again as the waves crept over the top of the door. Ruiz coughed the water out, being careful not to drop the dagger, which at this point was his only chance of survival. How he would manage to use only his legs, feet and teeth to free himself, and where he might go after that, were things he had a long time to worry about, he thought madly as he watched dark clouds rolling in from the east. Rough waters were surely ahead. Another wave of cold salt water washed over him, bathing him, purifying him. Hector Ruiz laughed, and laughed, and laughed…

* * *

Eliza opened the window of Jack's bedroom to let the night air in. She breathed in the salty air, feeling it course through her hair. Eliza hadn't felt this peaceful since being on the Esperanza, she thought, as she gazed up at the moon.

"'Ello love," said a familiar voice, wearily, from behind her.

"Jack!" Eliza gasped, wheeling around to face him. She gasped. She tried desperately to find the words to say, but when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing coherent came out. "I….I….I…" The girl collapsed onto his bedside, weeping uncontrollably.

"Shhhh…" said Jack with a lazy grin, stroking Eliza's black hair. "You didn't think I'd leave without getting me treasure now, did you?"

Eliza raised her tear-streaked face. "Captain Sparrow!" she yelled, in mock indignation, a smile creeping across her face as she removed the hand that had just pinched her behind.

Jack placed his other hand under her chin, watching Eliza's lovely face glow in the combination of moonlight and the flickering candles. He gazed at her deeply, with all the intensity of a thousand pirates and a thousand treasure ships. Jack Sparrow lifted her face up to his, and paused with their faces no more than an inch apart, as he felt her breath against his mouth.

"I shouldn't involve myself with drunk older pirates," she gasped breathlessly.

"And I shouldn't pursue innocent young things over which I might wield unfair influence," he smiled.

Their eyes said everything that needed to pass between them before their lips met in a tender but impassioned kiss that betrayed weeks of secret longings and regrets. His tongue curled around hers and she felt she would surely float right out the window to where the moon shone its approval at long last.

Jack pulled himself away long enough to say with a dastardly grin, "I've got one question, love…Would you take off my clothes now please?"

Eliza stepped back, embarrassedly, invigorated, looking down at Jack from head to toe, her eyes lingering suspiciously on the bump in the blanket right around his waist. She stepped forward to grab his covers, but his hand grabbed hers.

"I didn't mean my clothes, love," he nodded at her, devilishly. "I meant my other clothes…that is to say the clothes which are on your body. My clothes. I mean, they're your clothes now, really, so it's a bit confusing actually whose clothes they are…"

Jack's inane soliloquy was interrupted by Eliza's wadded pirate clothing hitting him in the face. He tossed them aside, allowing himself a moment to behold Eliza standing before him. He, Jack Sparrow, gasped for air at the sight of her bare body.

"Be gentle with me, Jack," asked Eliza, as she lifted the covers and got into bed beside the pirate captain she loved.

"You've just been far less than that, love," he admitted coyly, sliding his fingers over her warm nakedness. "But I will say, miss, that I'm feeling rather ill. Like perhaps I've got me a touch of scurvy. Now if I could just find me some ripe oranges around here, I'd be fixed up, right quick," said Jack, naughtily squeezing Eliza as she shrieked with laughter. Jack and Eliza melted together under the covers as the Black Pearl sailed calmly through the Caribbean waters.

* * *

When Jack opened his eyes, Eliza was no longer beside him. In her place, a handful of rubies and a folded piece of paper. Jack rubbed his eyes, sat up in bed, and read Eliza's note in disbelief:

"_My darling, wonderful Captain,_

_While my adventures with you will undoubtedly prove to be the fondest memories of my life, it would be foolhardy for either of us to pretend this love affair can work. You are a man of the sea who longs for freedom and adventure. I am a young woman with a life of my own to find. _

_Our hesitation, after all, had honorable reasons. Love has nothing to do with my choice, yet also everything to do with it. If I were to stay here with you, our heaven would eventually become a hell for you and therefore to us both, and this I cannot allow when my time with you has been beautiful beyond comprehension. _

_You saved my life more than once, and have my eternal thanks for doing so. You taught me to love, and gave me back something I thought I'd lost forever, something I only now respect as much as my father did…esperanza…hope. The name Jack Sparrow will live in my heart forever, and though it pains me more than you can know, I must leave you despite being very much in love with you._

_I bid you a fond farewell. A very fond farewell, for I don't expect to see you again, even though beautiful things would have most assuredly developed between us."_

Jack Sparrow grinned wryly as he read his former words, and saw the signature and postscript at the note's end:

"_Always Your Eliza_

_p.s. I've taken a good amount of the jewels from your hold to assist me establishing myself, and bargained a ride back to San Miguel on the El Puro. Old Nance has come with me. I've left you silk for your new sails and these rubies to buy yourself a new cow. I'm sure you'll understand, and with your skills will be able to recover anything I've taken from you. Goodbye and good journey, my love."_

Jack Sparrow felt a hard tug at his insides, and the pain was unbearable. But in spite of it, he laughed at the fiery spirit of his woman. "Oh, Eliza, love," he said aloud. "You'd have made the most wonderful pirate." Jack kissed her letter, folded it tenderly and placed it on his bedside table with a sad smile.

Springing out of bed, pulling on his clothes and opening the door to the captain's deck outside, the Jack yelled menacingly to his crew. "Look alive, mates! We're sailing for supplies! I've got to buy us a new cow! Hopefully one that doesn't get seasick all the time, the old lout…" He trailed off with a mumble, gesturing wildly. The crew of the Black Pearl stopped briefly, everyone joyfully recognizing the return of their captain, then went about readying the ship for her next adventure.


	9. Epilogue

E P I L O G U E

The bell at the San Miguel mission was ringing loudly, as monks and nuns gathered at the gate to prepare for whatever wounded person was incoming.

Old Nance was with Eliza, holding the girl's sweaty hand as she was carried into the large stucco building on a cot. Old Nance quickly handed a generously-sized ruby to the monk at the gate, and barked out directions in Spanish as he opened it for them.

The pain was torturously ripping through Eliza and she felt as though surely her body would pull apart. "Won't be long, now, miss," whispered Old Nance. "You've done braver things than this, you 'ave!"

As with most things, Old Nance was right. Soon enough, after one last agonizing push, Eliza felt the baby leave her body. She cried with joy upon hearing the cries of her infant child. After being cleaned, the baby was wrapped in a colorful blanket and handed to its mother by Old Nance, who was a might teary herself.

"Should I tell the father?" asked the nearby nun of Old Nance.

The woman answered the nun in muted tones, using the story that had been previously rehearsed. "Eliza's husband went into the sea during that 'orrible wreck," she explained. "The gov'nor a' St. John gave her the only treasure recovered, to let her live comfortably, poor thing. Can you imagine, widowed at twenty?" she asked the nun, hoping the nun believed her story yet realizing the irony of asking the nun a question like that.

Eliza looked down lovingly and full of awe at the dark, pink, round face now sleeping in her arms. Now Eliza would have someone to love and share adventures with for the rest of her life, a long life full of endless possibilities. Her daughter, she thought. Hers and Jack's. A bittersweet tear made its way down her nose, dripping onto the baby's forehead. The baby screwed up her face and looked for a moment as though she might cry, but let out a soft coo and resumed her sleep.

"And what will you name the baby, senora?" asked the nun.

Eliza could think of only one appropriate word in the whole world; she repeated it proudly and with all her heart.

"Esperanza."

T H E E N D


	10. Author's Acknowledgements

**AUTHOR's NOTE**

This story is dedicated with affection to my three favorite men: Jay, Johnny, and Jack.

Jay, with the resourcefulness and charm of the pirate captain, who didn't complain as much as he could have while his wife was typing upstairs until three in the morning, and who somehow understands that no matter how many times I leave him for Jack Sparrow, I'll always be back.

Johnny, with the heart of the pirate captain, who breathes wonderful life into every character he inhabits and causes us all to dream beautiful dreams.

Jack, who stole my heart as no fictional character ever has, or likely ever will again.

(...and of course thanks to Disney, for creating Jack Sparrow and for not suing my ass off after I borrowed one of their best franchise characters for my non-commerical creative endeavor. )


End file.
